This study compared medical, clinical, and spiritual interventions to adolescent suicide on the Navajo Nation. High school counselors, mental health counselors, and traditional practitioners (medicine men) from the Navajo Nation were selected for participation in this study. Information regarding medical, clinical, and spiritual suicide interventions was obtained from semi-structured interviews with four high school counselors (clinical), four mental health counselors employed by the Indian Health Service (medical), and four traditional counselors (spiritual). Two participants from each group were located in the Central Consolidated School District located on the Navajo reservation in northwestern New Mexico and two from the Kayenta Unified School District located in the northeast part of the Navajo Nation in Arizona. Both school districts have large populations of Navajo students.

Several similarities were found between the three participant groups. All declared that a majority of the population they worked with were Navajo adolescents (12-19 year olds) alcohol or drug users. All participants also indicated that they dealt with suicide cases at least once a month. They also added that most of their referrals came from outside sources such as the family, the schools, or the courts, but that they also had a number of self-referrals. All participants indicated that they felt most effective when their client communicated that they felt better or happier, or made changes within their lives, either by making new friends, wearing different clothing (brighter color clothing, clothing that fit), etc. The major differences among the three groups were in the treatment process and the follow-up procedures used. The spiritual professionals followed a traditional treatment plan that interacted with the mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual being of the individual, whereas, the medical and clinical professionals tended to deal with only one aspect of the individual be it their mental or the emotional side.

The findings of this study suggest that there is a need for culturally appropriate suicide intervention for helping Native American suicidal adolescents. Counselors should be encouraged to recognize the positive contribution of traditional healing and, as appropriate, incorporate these practices into the treatment and follow-up of suicidal Native American adolescents.